The present invention relates to a terminal structure for allowing a male terminal to be inserted into a female terminal with a low insertion force while the electrical connection therebetween can be ensured.
As a prior art, Japanese Utility Model Publication No.60-109274 discloses a terminal structure which consists of a male terminal and a female terminal into which the male terminal is inserted. In this conventional structure, the female terminal, which can be obtained by bending a plate material, is shaped to form a casing. Inside the casing, two projections are formed on a substantially plane upper surface of the casing to depress the male terminal. The projections are arranged in parallel with each other to extend along the longitudinal direction of the female terminal. Provided on an interior downside of the casing is a resilient tongue piece which has a protrusion formed on an upper surface thereof.
On the other hand, the male terminal is also formed by bending a piece of plate material. The male terminal has a rod-shaped electrical connection part formed on one end in the longitudinal direction. This electrical connection part has a cross section defined by substantially plane upper surface and lower surface.
In assembly, the male terminal is inserted into the casing of the female terminal so that the electrical connection part of the male terminal is supported between the inside upper surface of the casing and the resilient tongue piece thereof, so that an electrical connection between the male terminal and the female terminal can be accomplished. In more detail, the electrical connection between the electrical connection part of the male terminal and the female terminal is mainly attained through the intermediary of the projections on the inside upper surface of the female terminal and the protrusion formed on the resilient tongue piece. Such a contacting form serves to reduce the force required in inserting the male terminal into the female terminal due to smallness of the contacting area derived from a provision of the projections.
In the above-mentioned structure, however, the provision of the projections on the inside upper surface of the female terminal causes a height thereof to be increased, so that the female terminal itself becomes large-sized, which is far from the miniaturization of the terminals.